The era of big data is not only here, it’s exploding! Retailers of all stripes are collecting consumer purchases and preferences, totally eclipsing reliance on demographics. So says Stuart Aitken at a luncheon sponsored by CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women), which I had a chance to attend on May 14. Aitken is CEO of dunnhumby USA, a marketing services company, which is a joint venture of the Kroger Co. and London-based dunnhumby Ltd.

Founded back in 2002, dunnhumby USA tracks shoppers through loyalty programs that in turn allow it to provide “customer management, relevance marketing, analysis and insight services.” Other clients include P&G, PepsiCo, Kellogg and Kraft. Continue reading →

Just about everyone is talking about the new hook up between Target and Facebook.

Target is rolling out Cartwheel, a service that pairs a social network with “deal” pricing. Target’s new program (about a year in development) relies on customers using their Facebook accounts to select the deals they want online. But, the payoff is actually in-store, when the customer presents a barcode (either on paper or mobile screen) at a bricks-and-mortar Target to get the special offer pricing. It grows more “social” when a shopper can see what offers their FB friends have chosen, while claiming them generates automatic News Feed posts on Facebook (unless the user turns them off). Continue reading →

Diva’s heading back to San Francisco this month—woo hoo! Why, you ask? Well because DDI Magazine’s fifth CitySCENE networking event will take place in San Francisco on May 23, 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at The Westin St. Francis, at 355 Powell St. In case you haven’t been to a CitySCENE event yet, Diva has the deets: CitySCENE is a series of local networking events across the country designed to bring like-minded peers from the retail design industry together for casual conversation and cocktails—and it’s free to attend!

The event, which first debuted last May in San Francisco, returns for a second stop in the lovely Bay Area, and not to mention at a lovely location (Diva loooves The Westin St. Continue reading →

Talk about bling.

Here’s a sneak peek at Swarovski’s stunning new stand at Baselworld 2103, on view April 24-May 2. Baselworld is an international tradeshow of the watch and jewelry industry that takes place annually in Basel, Switzerland.

The Austrian-based company, known for its crystal-studded jewelry, watches and chandeliers, tapped award-winning Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka. The renowned Yoshioka, whose work can be found in the United States at MoMA and the Cooper Hewitt, created a circular stand, with a 21-ft.-tall curved wall, weighing in at more than 21,000 sq. ft.

The eye-popping display trips the light fantastic with LED and mirrors to symbolize facets characteristic of Swarovski, which traces its history to 1895. Continue reading →

Maybe this Retail Design Diva is just missing her pugs…who wouldn’t miss these faces?

But I found plenty of furry friends on the show floor to put a smile on my face. Have you spotted the them? In our pet-loving world, it makes sense that more of these lovable creatures will be incorporated into retail displays.

Continue reading →